An early barrage of offense from Grambling State was too much for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff to overcome on Wednesday.
UAPB opened the SWAC Baseball Tournament with a 13-6 loss at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.
Golden Lion ace pitcher Kenney Fabian (6-7) hadn’t allowed a run in 25 innings entering the game, a streak which started with seven scoreless against Grambling State on May 2. He had pitched two complete games since, including one six days prior to the start of the tournament.
The first team All-SWAC selection didn’t make it past the fourth inning, with junior right-hander Nate Monceaux relieving him with two outs and two runners on base. It was Fabian’s second-shortest start of the season, one out longer than his opening day start against Oral Roberts.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The runners he left behind scored when the first hitter Monceaux faced, GSU designated hitter Aries Gardner, hit a 3-run home run to make it 10-2, wrapping up a 6-run fourth inning for No. 5 seed Grambling State (19-11).
Fabian allowed a season-high 9 earned runs on nine hits. He struck out four hitters with two walks.
Monceaux settled things down afterward for No. 4 seed UAPB (19-34), not allowing any further runs across the next two innings. Steffan Fak pitched a scoreless seventh, but the Tigers went on to add 1 run in the eighth and 2 in the ninth.
Tiger starter Mason Martinez (4-4) allowed 2 runs, 1 earned, in five innings. GSU led 11-3 before the Golden Lions plated 3 runs in the bottom of the eighth on four straight hits and a sacrifice fly.
Grambling State first baseman Chenar Brown led the Tigers’ offense, hitting 3 for 4 with 4 RBIs and 2 runs, including a 2-run home run in the first inning.
Designated hitter Brant Voth led UAPB with 3 RBIs on 1 for 3 hitting with two sacrifice flies. The Golden Lions tallied 12 hits but stranded 12 runners.
UAPB first baseman Ben VanMaanen exited the game in the fifth inning after he was kicked in the ankle by a GSU baserunner while recording an out at first base. He finished the half-inning but was replaced by Blake Coleman in the bottom half. Coleman hit 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs.
With the loss, the Golden Lions drop into the loser’s bracket and will face No. 7 seed Southern in an elimination game at noon Thursday. Southern lost its tournament opener 9-1 to No. 2 seed Florida A&M.